Catch



June 14, 1949. R. A. STQNE 2,473,181

CATCH Filed Dec, 19, 1945 IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 14, 1949 CATCH Roy A. Stone, Rockford, Ill., assigner toNational Lock Company, Rockford, lll., a corporation of DelawareApplication December 19, 1945, Serial No. 636,013

4 Claims.

This invention relates to catches of the type adapted for use onfurniture for holding the doors of kitchen cabinets and the like inclosed position` The embodiment of my invention herein shown asillustrative is particularly designed for mounting on metal walls, suchas a sheet metal wall of a metal cabinet. A primary purpose of myinvention is the provision of a latch which may be mounted by simplyinserting it through an opening in the wall, the base of the latch beingdesigned to extend outside the confines of such opening, so thatprojection of the latch through the opening is limited by the base whichalso covers the holding jaws but has an opening through which a strikemay be projected into engagement with said jaws. Retraction of the latchfrom the wall opening is prevented by spring tangs which automaticallyengage with the inner face of the Wall and lock the latch in mountedposition.

Another purpose of my invention is to provide a catch, the pivotallymounted holding jaws of which will be spring pressed into clamping orholding relation to snugly grasp and retain a strike introduced betweenthem and which will be centered by the body walls in position to receivethe strike.

Another purpose of my invention is the provsion of a catch which can beeconomically assembled and quickly and easily mounted.

Further purposes and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe same becomes better understood by reference to the followingdescription when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a fragmental perspective view of a cabinet structure equippedwith my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but with the parts inchanged positions;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation looking toward the right on the line 4-4 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the catch illustrating the method ofmounting it.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, reference character 8 indicatesgenerally the surrounding walls of a door opening in a sheet metalcabinet, such as a kitchen cabinet or storage cabinet, such openingbeing adapted to be closed by a hollow sheet metal door 9.

catches having the holding jaws between whichr a strike is projectedwhen the door is closed, formed integrally with the body or framestructure of the catch have been used to a considerable extent, but ithas been found that under prolonged use the flexing of the jaws has atendency to induce metal fatigue which results in breakage of the jaws.My improved catch embodies jaws structurally independent of the body orframe of the catch. Such jaws are pivotally mounted on the body andspring pressed into operative position, with the result that greatdurability is attained and the holding effect is not diminished byprolonged use.

The body or frame structure of my improved catch is struck up from apiece of sheet metal which is shaped to provide a base Il having anaperture I2. Walls I3 integral with the base project therefrom inparallelism substantially perpendicular to the base, and the free endportions of such walls are provided with lateral extensions which arebent into opposed relation to provide overlapping projections lil. Theseprojections are connected together to form a rigid structure by ariveted pintle I5.

Upon this pintle is pivotally mounted a pair of opposed clamping orholding jaws I6 having in-turned ears I'i journaled on the pintle, andopposed curved holding portions lil near the free ends of the jawsadapted to clampingly engage and yieldingly hold an interposed strike I9projecting from the inner face of the door 9 through the opening I2 inthe base which serves to cover and protect the jaws.

The jaws are urged into clamping relation by a coiled spring 2lsurrounding the pintle with its ends 22 and 23, respectively, engagingthe inwardly projecting ends oi the jaws. The approach of the clampingends of the jaws is limited by engagement of the inner projecting endsthereof with flanges 24 turned inwardly from the walls I3 which alsoserve to center the jaws for the reception of the strike.

In mounting my improved catch on a -cabinet or the like, the wall 8 isprovided with an opening 25 proportioned to permit the projection of thecatch structure therethrough, but having opposed inwardly extendingflanges 26 forming abutments which prevent the passage of the base l Ithrough the opening. The walls I3 of the catch frame structure arelongitudinally slotted, as indicated at 2l, to provide tangs 22 whichare sprung outwardly and, due to their resiliency, tend to remain in theextended position illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 6.

In mounting the catch the body thereof is projected throu-gh the opening25 from the outside, as shown progressively in Figs. 6 and 3,respectively, the tangs 28 being pressed inwardly into the planes of theWalls I3 during the insertion until the ends thereof have passed throughthe opening, whereupon they spring outwardly into the position shown toprevent retraction of the body and hold the saine in mounted position.1t will be. apparent that the vcatch is firmly held by engagement of thebase with the outer faces of flanges 26 of the cabinet Wall and theengage-v ment of the tangs 28 with the inner face of the` cabinet wall.The strike I9, of well known construction, is mounted on the door by fbeing threaded into a suitably placed opening or other- Wise attachedthereto.

It should be apparent from the foregoing'that I have provided a catchhaving clamping jaws which are structurally independent of and pivotallymounted on the body or frame structure of thev catch, so that they arenot subject to fatigue and weakening in use, as are jaws ofspring metalformed integrally with the body. A longlife coiled 4 spring urges thejaws into clampingrelation while the jaws are centered with respect tothe strike by engagement of theininwardly projecting ends with theguiding flanges 24 on thebody.

The details illustrated and described may be varied within wide limitswithout exceeding the scope of my invention as dened in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1 'A catch, comprising a sheet metal frame structure including a base, apairl of side Walls projecting from said base and formed at vtheir outerends to provide opposed overlapping projections-a-pintle extendingthrough said -overlapping projections, a pair of holding jaws pivotallykmounted on said' pi'ntle and-extending betweensaid side walls towardsaid base, anda spring mounted on the pintle and engaging said jawswhereby said jaws are yieldingly held in position to retain aninterposed strike.

2. A catch, comprising a sheet metal structure including a base providedwith an opening and a pair of side walls struck up from said base, saidstructure being adapted to be mounted in a wall opening, the side wallsof said structure being formed at their outer ends to provideoverlapping projections, a pintle connecting said projections, a `pairof cla'mpin'gjaws pivoted on said pintle and extending toward said'basevopening, and a spring on the pintle arranged to urge said jaws intoclamping relation to retain an interposed strike projected through saidbase opening.

3. A catch, comprising an integral sheet metal structure vformed toprovide a perforated base, a pair of Aside Walls and overlappingextensions from said side walls, a pintle extendingthrough saidoverlapping extensions, a pair of clamping jaws pivotally mounted onsaid projections with the' clamping ends thereof disposed in proximityto said base, and spring means for urging the clamping ends 'of 4saidjaws-'toward eachother.-

4. A catch, comprising a sheet -meta1-fstiuctui'e adapted to hemounted-inem'openingandconsisting `of a base provided Lwith an-open-ing,l side walls, and overlapping projections fram-said side walls, a pairof clamping jaws-a "pintleextendi-ng through I said 1 projections and4upon 'which said jaws are pivotalI-y mounted-inopposdrelation, spring'means fory urging the 'clamping portions of saidjaws towardeach otherinto cla'rnpiiig position,- and means carriedby said iside 4walls forcentering said jaws with respect to said opening.

ROY #A5 STONE.

REFERENCES CITEDH The following references' are ofrecord `in f the file'of this patent:

Number Name Date 1,662,422 Hodges Man 13, 1928 2,169,691 Hammer` f-v.Aug. 15,1939 2,244,344 North etal; June 3, 1941 2,414,1162 Ostrom I Jam21,1947

